Transient WLAN connection profiles

Abstract

A wireless local area network (WLAN) client device is able to store one or more transient connection profiles. A transient connection profile of a WLAN may be overwritten by a transient connection profile of another WLAN. A transient connection profile may be automatically deleted from the client device without user action having been taken to explicitly delete the transient connection profile.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method in a wireless local area network client device, the method comprising:
 receiving a first indication via a user input component of the wireless local area network client device not to store a persistent connection profile of a first wireless local area network having a first network name, and in response to receiving the first indication, storing in the wireless local area network client device a transient connection profile of the first wireless local area network, the transient connection profile including the first network name; 
 while the transient connection profile of the first wireless local area network is stored in the wireless local area network client device, comparing scan results from scanning for wireless local area networks to the transient connection profile of the first wireless local area network; 
 receiving a second indication via the user input component not to store a persistent connection profile of a second wireless local area network having a second network name that differs from the first network name, and in response to receiving the second indication, automatically deleting the transient connection profile of the first wireless local area network from the wireless local area network client device by overwriting the transient connection profile of the first wireless local area network with a transient connection profile of the second wireless local area network, the transient connection profile of the second wireless local area network including the second network name; and 
 while the transient connection profile of the second wireless local area network is stored in the wireless local area network client device, comparing scan results from scanning for wireless local area networks to the transient connection profile of the second wireless local area network. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first wireless local area network and the second wireless local area network are classified with the same classification. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless local area network client device is able to have more than one transient connection profile stored concurrently in the wireless local area network client device. 
     
     
       4. A method in a wireless local area network client device, the method comprising:
 storing in the wireless local area network client device a transient connection profile of a first wireless local area network, the transient connection profile including a first network name, and automatically assigning a lower priority to the transient connection profile of the first wireless local area network than that assigned to any persistent connection profiles stored in the wireless local area network client device; 
 while the transient connection profile of the first wireless local area network is stored in the wireless local area network client device, comparing scan results from scanning for wireless local area networks to the transient connection profile of the first wireless local area network; 
 automatically deleting the transient connection profile of the first wireless local area network from the wireless local area network client device by overwriting the transient connection profile with a transient connection profile of a second wireless local area network having a second network name that differs from the first network name, the transient connection profile of the second wireless local area network including a network name of the second wireless local area network, and automatically assigning a lower priority to the transient connection profile of the second wireless local area network than that assigned to any persistent connection profiles stored in the wireless local area network client device; and 
 while the transient connection profile of the second wireless local area network is stored in the wireless local area network client device, comparing scan results from scanning for wireless local area networks to the transient connection profile of the second wireless local area network. 
 
     
     
       5. A client device comprising:
 a processor; 
 a wireless local area network interface coupled to the processor, the wireless local area network interface comprising a wireless local area network controller and a radio; 
 an antenna coupled to the radio; 
 a user input component coupled to the processor, arranged to receive a first indication not to store a persistent connection profile of a first wireless local area network having a first network name and, at a later time, to receive a second indication not to store a persistent connection profile of a second wireless local area network having a second network name that differs from the first network name; 
 a memory coupled to the processor, the memory arranged to store one or more persistent connection profiles of wireless local area networks and arranged to store executable code that, when executed by the processor, stores a transient connection profile of the first wireless local area network in response to receiving the first indication, the transient connection profile including the first network name, and, in response to receiving the second indication automatically deletes the transient connection profile of the first wireless local area network from the client device by overwriting the transient connection profile of the first wireless local area network with a transient connection profile of the second wireless local area network, the transient connection profile of the second wireless local area network including the second network name, 
 wherein while the transient connection profile of the first wireless local area network is stored in the memory, the client device is arranged to compare scans results generated by the wireless local area network controller when scanning for wireless local area networks to the transient connection profile of the first wireless local area network, and while the transient connection profile of the second wireless local area network is stored in the memory, the client device is arranged to compare scans results generated by the wireless local area network controller when scanning for wireless local area networks to the transient connection profile of the second wireless local area network. 
 
     
     
       6. A client device comprising:
 a processor; 
 a wireless local area network interface coupled to the processor, the wireless local area network interface comprising a wireless local area network controller and a radio; 
 an antenna coupled to the radio; and 
 a memory coupled to the processor, the memory arranged to store one or more persistent connection profiles of wireless local area networks and arranged to store a transient connection profile of a first wireless local area network having a first network name, the transient connection profile including the first network name, and arranged to store executable code that, when executed by the processor, automatically assigns a lower priority to the transient connection profile of the first wireless local area network than that assigned to any persistent connection profiles stored in the client device, and wherein the executable code, when executed by the processor, automatically deletes the transient connection profile of the first wireless local area network from the client device by overwriting the transient connection profile of the first wireless local area network with a transient connection profile of a second wireless local area network having a second network name that differs from the first network name, the transient connection profile of the second wireless local area network including the second network name, and automatically assigns a lower priority to the transient connection profile of the second wireless local area network than that assigned to any persistent connection profiles stored in the client device, 
 wherein while the transient connection profile of the first wireless local area network is stored in the memory, the client device is arranged to compare scans results generated by the wireless local area network controller when scanning for wireless local area networks to the transient connection profile of the first wireless local area network, and while the transient connection profile of the second wireless local area network is stored in the memory, the client device is arranged to compare scans results generated by the wireless local area network controller when scanning for wireless local area networks to the transient connection profile of the second wireless local area network.